Vending apparatus.



W. E. BISHOP L G. F. CHAPLE.

VBNDING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. z2, 1907.

Patented June 1, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

witness@ W. E. BISHOP`& G..P. GHAPLB. VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 22, 1907.

Patented June 1, 1909.

3 SHEETS--SHEET Z.

.A I 'uwul'oz y l v witnesses i A@ W. E. BISHOP d: G, E. GHAPLE. VBNDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 11017.22, 190]. 923,132, Patented June 1, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Tl l El lilhllT nr Arisica WILLIAM E. BISHOP AND GEORGE F. CHAPLE, 0F BREVARD, NORTH CAROLINA.

VENDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Lettere Patent.

Patented June 1, 1908.

Application led November 22, 1907. Serial No. 403,261.

To all whom 'it may concern."

Be 1t known that we, `W1LLrAM E.' BISHOP and Grenen F. CHAPLE, citizens of `the I United States, residing at Brevard, in the.

the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanyng drawings, in which-4 Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved bottle Vending apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the sameyFig. 3 is asimilar transverse section; Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 4 4 in F'g. 2; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail sectional views showing` the controlling and operating mechanism with its parts in different posi-v tions.

The a paratus comprises a bodyor casing 1 wiich may be of any suitable form and construction but as here shown is substantially rectangular and adapted to contain mechanism for delivering two or more kinds of cold drinks, these mechanisms being the same and mounted on opposite sides of the transverse center of the casing, and in its upper portion. This upper ortion of the casing is of slightly less wldth than the lower portion so as toprovide at the front of the casing two delivery receptacles or pockets 2, one being rovided for each of said mechanisms and t e two being separated by casing in which latter a portion of the controlling mechanism is arranged as presently described.

The top of the casing is open and adapted to be closed by a cover or lid 4 which is referably hinged and which may be provied with a suitable lock. ln the front of the casing we form an opening an extended portion 3 of the4 each side of the casing are the same adapted to be closed by a hinged door 5 also provided with a suitable lock. This door permits of access to the lower portion of the casing in which is 'arranged a partition 6 ada ted to divide said lower portion into two ciambers 7, 8. The lower chamber 8 may be used. for storing boxes, bottles or the like and the upper one is adapted to receive empty bottles which may be delivered to the same and deposited upon the artition or shelf 6 by placing them in an inclined chute 9 arranged in one end of the casing. The outer end of the chute 9 is preferably closed by an inwardly swinging inged door 10 which is actuated to its closed position by a spring 11. -We also preferably mount upon the last mentioned end of the casing a bottle opening device 12 which may be of:` any suitable form and construction and which is arranged above a tubular chute 13 having its lower end opening into thechamber 7 and adapted to receive'the bottle Stoppers. y

The upper portion of the casing beneath the lid or cover 4 lis adapted to serve as a refrigerator and arranged wit-hin it is an ice box or receptacle 14 preferably formed with a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom 15 and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined top 16 which latter is hinged at its rear so as to form a cover or lid for the ice box. The front wall of the ice box is secured to the inner face of the front wall of the casing and the rear wall 17 of said box is spaced from the inner face of the rear wall of the casing 1 a distance sufficient to permit the bottles B to pass downwardly between said walls from the inclined top 16 of the box to the endless carriers 18 of the two delivery mechanisms above mentioned. By constructing and mounting the ice box in this manner it will be seen that the bottles will feed downwardly by gravity to the carriers 1S. Vertical guides 19 are arranged centrally 1n the refrigerator compartment so as to guide the two= rows of bottles. The ice box is provided with a drip tube 14a which leads in to the compartment or chamber 7 and discharges into a removable pan 14b arranged on the shelf or partition 6.

Since the bottle delivery mechanisms (pn a escri tion of one will suffice for both. This mec anism com rises the endless carrier or conveyor 1S which as' shown preferably con- `18 to deliver one bottle.

sists of two chains 20 connected by cross bars or slats 21 adapted to receive the bottles between them. These chains pass overfront and rear rollers 22, 23'.arranged in different horizontalplanes adjacent to the front and rear walls of the casing so that the carrier has a downward and forward inclination. Arranged between the two stretches of the latter is an inclined board or support 24 down which the bottles roll as the carrier is actuated tol deliver themto one of the receptacles or pockets 2 at the front of the easing.

An outwardly swinging hinged .door 25 actuated to its closed position by a spring 26 is preferably mounted at the front of the casing to close the opening ythrough which the bottles are delivered.

The chains 2O of the carrier engage sprockets 27 upon the front roller 22, which latter is adapted to serve as a driving roller and has upon'the inner end of its shaft 28 a ratchet wheel 29. The latter is in the form of a disk formed in its periphery with notches or seats 30 which may be varied in number according to the size of the apparatus and the `size of the bottles or other articles to be delivered by the apparatus. The notches 30are of rectangular form and haveone of their walls beveled at 30a for a purpose presently explained.

The ratchet wheel 29 is adapted to be actuated by a push rod or lever 31 a distance sutlioient to cause the endless carrier The rod 31 is slidably mounted in the upper portion of the extended portion 3 of the casing and has at its upper end a finger piece 32 and at its lower end a curved portion which is pivoted .to a pawl carrying lever 33 in' the form of a segmental shaped plate pivoted on the shaft 28 as clearly shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7 of the drawings. The lever 33 carries a sliding spring-projected pawl 34 to engage the notches 30 in the ratchet wheel 29. The lever is actuated in one direction by a coil spring 35.

From'the foregoing it will be seen that when the finger iece 32 is depressed the leverplate 33 will be swung so that the pawl 34 will move the ratchet wheel a predetermined distance and that when said nger piece is released the spring 35 will restore said arts to their normal position shown in Fig. 5.

The ratchet wheel 29 is adapted to be locked by a detent or pawl 36 which is controlled by a nickel, coin or other check dep osited in a slot 37 formed in the front portron of the casing l. Said slot 37 communicates with an inclined coin chute 38 having its lower end arranged above a sliding cash drawer 39 provided with a suitable lock and arranofed in they lower portion of the casing 3. aid lower-end of the chute 38 is adapted tobe closed by the rear end 40 of the detent 36 which latter is pivoted at 4l .intermediate its ends and has its other end` formed with a projection 42 to engage the notches 30 in the ratchet wheel 29. A spring 43 is attached to the detent foi holding' it in its normal position in which the pnojection 42 engages one of the notches 30 and its end 40 closes the lower end of the chute 38.

In operation, a nickel or other coin or check is deposited in the slot 3T and allowed to slide down the chute 38 upon the end 40 of the detent to tilt the latter so that its projection 42 is partially removed from the notch 30 of the ratchet wheel and disposed opposite the beveled portion 30a of said notch. The linger piece 32 on the push rod or lever is then actuated to swing the lever plate 33 and cause its pawl34 to move the ratchet wheel 29 a distance suiliclent to cause the endless carrier 18 to deliver one bottle upon its receptacle or shelf 2. When the ratchet wheel is thus rotated the beveled' portion 30al of the notch 3() engaged by the end 42 of the pawl will force said end 42 out of the notch and thereby cause the other end 40 of the pawl to move entirely out of the coin chute 38 and release the coin so that it will drop into the drawer- 39. When the finger piece 32 is released the springs 35 and 42 will return said parts to their normal positions shown in Fig. 5.

The above described operation will be understood from the foregoing and upon reference to Figs. 6 and 7 in which the former shows the parts in the position they assume when actuated to deliver a bottle and the latter the parts in the position they assume when returning to their normal position shown in Fig. 5.

While we have shown and described our invention as embodied in an apparatus for vending cold bottles it will be understood that it may be used for vending other articles. It will also be understood that it may be constructed so as to deliver one or more kinds of bottled drinks, packages or other merchandise.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

l. In a bottle vending apparatus, the

combination of a casing having a removable top, an ice box arranged 1n the upper front portion of the casing and having a and support the bottles, transverse shafts i carrier consisting of ,gaged with said disposed at the opposite ends of said board, sprocket wheels upon said shafts, an endless sprocket chains enwheels and/connected by cross bars, the latter being spaced apart to receive the bottles between them and to allow the latter to roll down said board and means for controllin `the operation of one of said shafts to fee the bottles from the casing. y

2. ln a bottle vending apparatus,.the com-v bination of a casing having a removable top, an ice box arranged in the upper front portion of the easing and having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined top and a vertical rear Wall spaced from the rear wall of the casing, whereby bottles laced upon the top kof the icefbox will feed downwardly by gravity and pass betweenits rear wall and the rear wall of the casing, a downwardly and ranged in the casing beneath the bottom of the ice box and adapted to receive and support the bottles, transverse shafts disposed forwardly inclined board ar at the opposite ends of said board, sprocket wheels upon said shafts,

an endless carrier consisting of sprocket chains engaged with said wheels and connected by cross bars, the latter being spaced apart to receive the bottles between them and to allow the latter to roll down said board, a bottle receiving re'- ceptacle upon the latter being formed with a discharge opening adjacent to said receptacle and vthe lower end of said board, a swinging Closure for said opening and means for controlling the operation, of one `of said shafts to feed the bottles through said opening in the casing and into they receptacle. In testimony whereof'we our signatures in the presence nesses.

hereunto ax of two witlvvnLiLiiii/i ne.' interior. GEURGE l". CHAPLE.

1Witnesses; i

W. YV., WATERS, ERB. Aureon,

front of the casing, the 

